Thule 630 Ranger 90 soft, folding roof box / cargo bag review

Updated on December 7, 2009

Thule Ranger 90

I purchased a Thule Ranger 90 soft, folding roof bag /
cargo bag to fit the roof bars of my vehicle. I needed extra space on
occasional trips so I wanted a relatively low cost solution. Also, as the roof
box was not intended to be a permanent feature on the vehicle and I don’t have
a lot of storage space in my garage, I had to find a product which was easy to
fit and remove from the roof bars and occupies a minimum amount of storage
space.

By chance, whilst researching the market for a small, low
cost hard roof box, I happened upon the Thule Ranger 90. Prior to finding this
product, I was not aware of and had not considered a soft, folding roof box as
a solution to my needs. Considering the handling requirements of a hard roof
box when physically fitting and removing it from the vehicle (which I would
typically be doing by myself) a soft textile roof box was instantly appealing.

Further research into the Thule Ranger 90 product showed
that with a 340 litre storage capacity and weighing 7kg, it would provide the
extra storage space I required in a manageable weight for me to lift on and off
the roof bars by myself. The fact that
this roof box could be rolled up and stored in a comparatively small space
meant that my main criteria for a roof box would be satisfied.

I considered the drawbacks which were mainly around
robustness and security of a soft roof box compared to a hard roof box.
Obviously a textile roof box is far easier to break into that a hard plastic
roof box but security was not a significant issue for my intended usage and the
padlocked zipper was enough for my needs. The ability of the Thule Ranger 90 to
withstand general wear and tear was more of a concern but after having used it
for many long trips fully loaded with items including a baby pram / stroller,
shopping, holiday luggage, fishing equipment etc..etc…I’m pleased to say that
the tarpaulin material of this roof box is indeed robust.

Installation is simple with four snap lock u-clamps
securing each corner of the roof box to the roof bars. A zipper runs around
three sides of the box which allows flexible access from either side of the
vehicle or the back. Adjustable straps allow the box to be tailored to the size
of the load being carried.

Overall, I was very pleased with the Thule Ranger 90
roof box, it sits neatly in the corner of my garage and takes me 5 or 10
minutes to secure to the roof bars of my vehicle when I need to use it.